Multidisk phonograph.



No. 67l,305. Patented Apr. 2, I901.

J. D. BLAGDEN.

MULTIDISK PHONOGBAPH.

(Application filed June 11, 1900.)

(No Modal.) 3 Sheets$heet l.

fesaea W z/w No. 671,305. Patented Apr. 2, l90l.

J. D. .BLAGDEN.

MULTIDISK PHONOGBAPH.

\Applimtion' filed June 11. 1800., (No Model.)

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" L Pa -tented Apr. 2,'l90l.

J. D. BLAGUEN.

IULTIDISK PHONOGRAPH.

(AppliLtion flludjune 11, 1900.; (No Model.)

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NITED STATES JOHN D. BLAGDEN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

MULTIDISK PQ'HONOGRAPH.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,305, dated April 2,1901.

Application-filed June 11, 1900. Serial No. 19,890. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHND. BLAGDEN, acitizen ofthe UnitedStates,residing at Memphis, Shelby county, State of Tennessee, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Multidisk Phonographs,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for recording and reproducing speech,known as phonograph's, and has special reference to that class ofphonographs in which the soundrecord is made on flat disks.

It has for its object, primarily, to provide means whereby a subject ofconsiderable length may be recorded and reproduced, or a.

series of short records may be made and reproduced in the same or in anypredetermined succession continuously and automatically. It has also forits object the improvement of the details of phonographs. I accomplishthe first of these objects by storing a plurality of record-disks inreserve and by automatically placing each of these disks in successionwhen the preceding records have been completed, by lowering thedisk-table during the reproduction, so that the top of each successiverecord shall be at the same height at the beginning of each, record, andby moving the reproducing-point over the records and returning sameautomatically after completion of each. I improve the details by a novelmethod of raising the reproducer-point and by the automatic means ofaccomplishing this, by the connection of the reproducer-point with thediaphragm, by the manner of supporting the reprod ncer-arm and by themeans of following an irregular record, as will be hereinafter morefully described in this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my phonograph, Figure lis a sideelevation showing the multiple record-disks stored in thestorage-bracket at the beginning of the record, with one disk in placeand the reproducer in position to begin. Fig. 2 shows a plan with thestored records removed, the top frame broken away in order to show thereproducer-arm, and with the record-disk and the bed-plate partiallybroken away to show the directing or guiding spiral which moves the reprod ucer across the record. Fig.3 shows a plan, and Fig. 4 a sectionalelevation,

of a modification of some of the details. Fig. 5 is a plan of amodification in which two diaphragms are used. Fig. 6 is a section, andFig. 7 an elevation, of the two ends of the reproducer-carrying arm,showing a modification in which the diaphragm is carried on the end of ahorizontally-swinging arm directly over the reproducing-point. Fig. 8 isa mechanical perspective of an end of the guiding-arm, showing variouscams or knees thereon. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail showing clutchesdisengaged. Fig-1O is a sectional detail of the differential gear whichregulates the height of the disk-table. Fig. 11 is a plan view of thedriving-pinion, showing section of driving-shaft and segmental screw.Fig.12 is a plan of the driving-pulley. Fig. 13 is a section of arecord-disk.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent likeparts in all the views, 1 is the baseplate, which carries the threeframe-posts 7, 7%, and 7 to the upper ends of which a top frame 6 ishinged at the points 6 in the posts 7 and 7 the end 6 of the top frame 6resting in the top of the post 7. This top frame 6 carries a bearing 6held by means of a set-screw 6 or like convenient means, which is theupper bearing for the driving-shaft 2. The lower bearing 9 for the shaft2 is carried by a.bracket 9, bolted or riveted to the under side of thebase-plate 1. The driving-shaft 2 is rotated by a drivingpulley 8, whichis fastened to said shaft by means of a key 8 (shown in Fig. 12,) or, ifit is so desired, by means of a pin (not shown) inserted through thepulley and the shaft. The pulley 8 (see Fig. 12) touches thedriving-shaft 2 on two of its sides only. On the other two sides spaces8 are left, through which spaces the segmental screw 15 is free to pass.

14 (see Figs. 10 and 11) is a driving-pinion which is fastened to theshaft 2, by a pin 14?, inserted through the shaft and the pinion. Theupper part of this pinion is turned down to give a cylindrical portionlet, on which is journaled a second pinion 13, which has integral withit at its upper end a nut 13, with which mesh the threads on thesegmental screw 15, which is slidably mounted on the driving-shaft 2.This segmental screw 15, as shown in Fig. 11, is apparently composed ofgear 12, and concentrically mounted therewith is another gear 11, whichcarries the directing-spiral 11 I will in this specification designatethe gear 11 as the directing-gear 11. The directing-gear 11 meshes withthe pinion 13, which is journaled on .the drivingpinion 14. Thedirecting-gear 11 is rigidly fastened to a hollow spindle 19*, which isfree to turn upon a spindle 19 rigidly fastened to the bed-plate 1.spindle 19 carries a clutch 19, (more fully shown in Fig. 1,) whichclutch engages with a clutch 12 fastened to the gear 12, loosely mountedon the hollow spindle 19 The directing-gear 11 is made with one toothmore than the gear 12, so that whenthe gear 12 is driven by thedriving-pinion 14 the gear 11, rotating with the gear 12, drives thepinion 13 at nearly the same rate of speed as that of the driving-pinion14, moving them relatively one tooth during each revolution. 1

The teeth on gears 11 and 12 and the thread on the segmental screw 15are so related that:

in making a complete reproduction of any record, as that on the disk 4,the pinions 13 and 14 move relatively to each other a suflicient numberof times to lower the disk-table 3 and the record-disk 4 exactly thethickness of one disk, thus bringing the upper portion of the disk 4 inthe same position'at the end of the record that the upper portion of thedisk-table 3 occupied at the beginning of the record, the object of thisbeing to make use of the record-disk 4 as a table upon which to bringanother record-disk 4 down to have each disk in turn to form the tablefor the succeeding disk, making it possible to reproduce all the storedrecords in succession without removing the former record.

Fig; 9 shows the gear 12 and the attached clutch 12, with the teeth 12on the said clutch disengaged from the teeth 19 on the clutch 19. Inthis case the gear 12 is free. to rotate upon the spindle 19, whichspindle, as before mentioned, carries the gear ll, and is therefore freeto rotate relatively to the said gear 11. To raise the gear 12 and theclutch 12 attached, I show in Fig. l a fork l8, carrying rollers 16 atthe upper end of its arms, which rollers bear against the under side ofthe gear 12 when the fork is put into use. This fork 18 is carried byparallel bars 17, which are supported on a bracket 17 fastened to thebase-plate 1. At the left-hand end of these bars, as shown in Fig. 1, arod 17 is fastened, which rod terminates in a button 17 By pressing downupon this button the fork 18'is raised and the rollers 16 press againstthe under side of the gear 12 and raise same until the clutch 12disengages from the clutch The lower end of the 19. Any further motionbrings the fork 18 against the under side of the clutch 19 as a brake. vthe fork 18 to bear against the under side of the clutch 19 withouttouching the stationary spindle 19 When this brake comes against theclutch 19 and stops it, it holds the hollow spindle 19 and the gear 11attached thereto stationary. If now the pulley 8,'attached to the maindriving-shaft 2, be rotated, the gear 11 holds the pinion l3 and itsattached nut 13 stationary and causes the segmental screw 15 to raise orlower rapidly, depending on the direction in which the driving-pulley isrotated. This gives a quick means of raising the segmental screw 15 andthe attached disktable 3, carrying the records 4 4 850., when the entireset of records or any desired portion thereof have been used and it isdesired to begin anew. It also furnishes a rapid means of bringing anydesired record into place should it be desired at anytime to skip one ormore of them.

Upon the face of the directing-gear 11 I cut ing-spiral. A guiding-pin20 projecting from the lower portion of the guiding-knee 20, which kneeis carried by a guiding-arm 21, works in this groove andby means ofconnecting-pieces directs the motion of the reproducer-point over therecord 4 4*, &c. The arm 21 is fastened by a set-screw or otherconvenient means to the lower end 22 of an oscillating spind1e,'whichspindle has the reproducer-arm 25 fastened to it at its upper end 22 23and 24 are brackets, fastened, respectively,underneath and above thebase-plate 1, which carry the oscillating spindle 22. These brackets arepreferably fastened, as shown, by the same rivets or bolts to thebase-plate. The upper end 22 of the oscillating spindle 22 is slightlyreduced in size, and on this reduced portion is fastened the bracket27", which carries the reproducer-arm 25. This bracket 27, as shown inFig. 1, is an extension of a tubular sound-conveyer 27, which I haveshown terminating vertically.

27. is a circular plate which carries the diaphragm 28. 27 is a conicalcover which is fastened to this circular plate 27 and which carries thereproducer-arm 25, to which it is rigidly attached. The reproducer-armmay be made of any convenient form, but I have shown it in the drawingsattached as a tube.

The reproducer-arm 25'is rigidly fastened to the oscillating spindle 22,so that while free to move horizontally, or, rather, to be movedhorizontally, it has no vertical motion whatsoever except. such as isincidental to the play of the spindle 22 in its bearings. It isintendedthen that none of the weightof the reproducer-arm shall rest on therecord. The free or swinging end of the reproducer-arm 25 carries abracket 41*, in which is pivoted a tension-lever 26, which carries'inturn the reproducer-point 45. The re'producer-lever 46 The fork is cutaway at 18 to allow ICC is pivoted near its center in the tension-lever26. One end carries the reproducer-point45 and the other is attached bya short cord 47 to the reproducer-cord 47, which leads to the diaphragm28. The cord 47 passes through an opening in the under side of thereproducer-arm 25, which, as stated, is tubular and is attached at rightangles to the reproducer-.

cord 47. One end of the cord 47 is attached to a piece 49 at the end ofthe reproducerarm 25 and leads thence through the center of the said armto the diaphragm 28 at the opposite end thereof. When the phonograph isreproducing, the reproducer-point 45 rests by its own weight and theweight of the tension-lever 26 upon the record 4. When the record hasbeen completed and it is necessary to carry the arm 25 back to itsinitial position to begin a record, it is necessary to raise thereproducer-point 45 from the record. Ordinarily this is done by raisingthe entire arm 25 and the diaphragm attached clear of the record. Iaccomplish this, however, by means of an arm 41 at right angles to thetensionlever 26, which arm'is attached by a cord 42 to a bell-crank 38,carried at the opposite end of the arm 25, and is thence connected bythe second cord 42 to another bell-crank 38 which is carried on theguiding-arm 21. This last bell-crank 38 is connected by a cord 42,

I which passes along the guiding-arm 21 andis attached near the free endthereof to the knee 40, which knee is automatically tripped at the endof the record by a cam 34 on the upper face of the directing-gear 11when the record shall have been completed.

1 is a slot in the base-plate 1,through which the cord 42 passes.

When the knee 40 strikes the cam 34 on the upper face of the gear 11, itpulls the cord 42 forward and raises the tension-weight 26, whichcarries the reproducerlever 46, thus raising the reproducer-point fromthe record, as above stated. As the 'knee 40 moves forward the spring 45catches on the top of lug 4O on the knee 40 and holds the same until thearm 21 shall have swung back to its original position at the beginningof the record and the lug 43 on the spring 43 shall have come in contactwith the pin 1, which projects from the under side of the base-plate 1.This pin 1 stops the spring 43, while the swinging arm 21 continues tomove, thus disengaging the lug 43 from the lug 40 and allowing thereproducer-point to again drop on the record. The gear 11, turning stillfarther, brings the cam 35 in contact with the knee 33, also carried bythe swinging arm 21, revolving same about the pin 33 and bringing thepoint 33 Fig. 8, into its highest position just when the knee 33 isunder the end of the arm 31 (shown in Fig. 2) of the hinged piece 31,thus raising the said arm 31 and piece 31, to which it is attached,upward. The piece 31 is pivoted at 31 and has the arm 31 and the arms 31extending outward from it. The arms 31 extend beneath the post 7 and 7which are hollow and support rods 29, which extend upward in thesehollow columns. The rods 29terminatein lugs 29 and 29 (designated fromtheir purpose as tripping-lugs,) which lugs project through slots cutthrough the posts 7 and 7.

5 is a record-storage bracket resting at 2 on top of the main shaft 2and revolving therewith. It has at its lower end lugs 10 and 10 tosupport the stored records 4 4 850. These lugs, as shown in Fig. 2, arerectangular in shape, disposed at right angles to each other, with onelug 10 above the companion lug 10. The lowest record-disk 4 rests on thelug 10 and with the remainder of the stored plates is carried around asthe shaft 2 and bracket 5 revolve. The tripping-lugs 29 and 29 abovementioned are so spaced and normally so disposed that the lug 1O passesbetween them as the bracket 5 revolves, and they are furthersufficiently distant from the bracket 5 to allow the lug 10, having itsline of greatest length at right angles to the direction of motion, toclear them. When, however, the knee 33 comes under the arm 31 and raisesit, and with it the attached arms 31 these arms 31 raise the rods 29 andthe lugs 29 apd 29 attached, bringing the lug 29 into the path of thelug 10*, so that it will engage the said lug and cause it to turn and atthe same time bringing the space between the lugs 29 and 29 into thepath of the lug 10, thus allowing same to turn freely, and thus droppingthe lowest record-disk 4 and allowing the next record 4 to drop on thelug 10, which is turned under it as the piece 10 is turned from underthe lower record. As soon as the cam 35 passes from beneath the knee 33it allows the arm 31), and with it the arms 31 ,carrying the posts 29,to drop and brings the tripping-lug 29 into the path of the lug 10. Thislug, striking the trippinglug 29 rotates a one quarter turn as beforeand drops the stored records on the lug 10, where they remain until therecord 4, which has been dropped on top of the record 4, has beenreproduced. Just prior to dropping a .new record, however, the arm 21,guided by the directing-spiral 11 on the gear 11, which arm has beenmoving outwardly u niformly, brings the knee 40 into position and it isstruck by the cam 34, which pushes it forward and raises thereproducer-point 45 from the record. At this point the arm begins tomove outward much more rapidly and continues to so move until thereproducer-arin 25, carrying the reproducer-point 45, is clear of therecord-disks. The spiral 11 continues then in a circular are for asuificient part of one revolution to allow the placing of a new record,as just described. The stored plate 4 is therefore free to drop to thetop of the record 4, which is supposedly already in place on thedisk-table 3. As soon as the record 4 drops the cam 36 on thedirecting-gearll strikes the knee 20 and raises the point 2O (shown inFig. 8) out of the spiral groove 11 the diaphragm 28 at its center.

Referring again to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the knee 2O restsagainst a spring 21 which is riveted or otherwise rigidly fastened tothe arm 21, the knee being held in place by the pressure of this springagainst the corner 20 of the knee. Now when the cam 36 strikes the knee20 it rotatates about the pin 20 and the corner 20 presses against thespring 21 until the knee 20 shall have been turned at right angles tothe position shown in Fig. 8, at which time the spring 21 pressesagainst the upper face of the knee 20 and holds same until means shallhave been applied to replace it. This means is furnished when the arm 21shall have turned to. the center to begin a new record by bringing theknee 20 against a pin 19 (Shown in Fig. 1.) This pin 19 is fastened intothe hollow rotating spindle 19, which carries the directing-gear 11. Thepin 19 strikes the upper side of the knee 20 and forces it down into itsoriginal position, bringing the point 20 thereon into the spiral groove11 at its point of beginning near the center of the gear 11. Theguidingarm 21, carrying with it the reproducer-arm 25, is swung back tothis central position by means of a spring 22 which is fastened at 22into the base-plate l and at 22 into the spindle 22. As soon, therefore,as the pin 20 on the knee 20 has been raised out of the spiral groove atthe outside of the gear 11 this spring 22 comes into action and carriesthe arm 21 back to the center, with the result before 'menti0nednamely,the hollow spindle 19 turning, carries the pin 19 against the upper partof the knee 20 and forces the point 20 down into the spiral groove 11 onthe directing-gear 11. Immediately thereafter the pin l strikesthe lug43 on the spring 43 and moves the lug 45 on the said spring out ofengagement with the lug 4O on the knee 40, thus allowing thereproducer-point 45 to rest on the record 4, which has been placed asabove stated, starting thus the reproduction of the record.

I have confined this description so far to a diaphragm 28, which iscarried in an extension 27 27 of the speaking-tube 27, which is rigidlyattached to the reproducer-arm 25, the vibrations beingcarried from thereproducerpoint 45 to the diaphragm 28 by the reproducer-lever 46,connected by a cord 47 to'a cord 47, extending along the center of thehollow reproducer-arm 25 and attached to When, therefore, the arm 25swings around, the diaphragm swings with it, keeping the cord 47 alwaysat right angles to the said diaphragm, to which it is attached.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a modification in which the diaphragm 28is carried in a holder 27 supported by a bracket 24 ,bolted to thebracket 24, the center of the diaphragm being exactly over the center ofthe oscillating spindle 22, which spindle extends up through thisbracket 24. The reproducerarm 25 is carried, as before, by a bracket 27fastened rigidly to this spindle. The reproducer-arm 25 oscillating withthe oscillating spindle 22, keeps the cord 47 always taut, and althoughthe diaphragm 28 is stationary the sound is reproduced in exactly thesame manner as where the diaphragm is carried on the moving shaft. Inthis case, too, I have shown the hollow reproducer-arm 25 as ofslightly-larger size than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in order to carrythe cord 47 near the upper part of the arm instead of through the centerof same, and thereby to leave space at the bottom to bring the cord 42also, which cord raises and lowers the reproducer-point 45, inside ofthis tube, obtaining in that way protection for both.

In Fig. I have shown a modification in which I carry two diaphragms inholders 27 and 27 which diaphragms are connected by means of cords 47and 47 respectively, with the main cord 47, leading, as before, to theend of the reproducer-arm 25. These cords 47 and 479 are joined atthepoint X (shown in Fig 5) to the cord 47 and are protected by a Y-shapedextension of the tube 25*, through the branches 25 and 25 of which thesecords pass. The tripping-cord 42 extends through an opening (not shown)in the lower part of the Y 25 and is further protected by the frame 27which carries the reproducer-arm 25 and its Y branches 25 and 25, withthe diaphragms thereon.

In Fig. 6 I show a still further modification of the reproducer-arm, inwhich the diaphragm 28 is carried on the end of the reproducer-arm 27and is connected immediately with the reproducer-lever 46 by means ofthe short cord 47 the longer cord 47 used in the other cases beingdispensed with. In this case I have shown the cord 42*, which raises andlowers the reproducer-arm 46, unprotected as in the first case. Thereproducerarm 27 in this case is the sound-conveyor and speaking-tubealso.

Fig. 13 shows a section of a record, showing the wax or waxlike surface4 carried on a plate 4 of sheet metal. This plate is thickened at theedge to protect the edge of the record and to allow the part 4 to bebeveled in order to permit the action of the pieces and 10, beforedescribed.

I desire to call special attention to the fact that the arm 25, whichcarries the reproducer tension-lever 26 and the reproducer-lever 46 andpoint 45, is free to move in a horizontal plane, but that it has novertical motion. The shaft 22, however, is made and so placed in thebrackets 23 and 24 that it may be raised bodilyasmall distance. Inraising this shaft the reproducer-arm and the guiding-arm 21 are bothraised through their entire lengths. It is thus possible to raise thereproducerpoint clear of the record and the guidingpoint 20 clear of thedirecting-spiral 11 and to swing them to one side to clear the recordand allow same to be removed or to allow new records to be put in place.It also pro- IIO vides means of changing the reproducingpoint from onepartof the record to another and to reproduce any part of a record. Theadvantage of this construction is that I can make astiff and durable armand not damage the record by excessive weight upon it. I am also enabledthereby to use a much larger record, as I am not limited by the weightof this arm. All the vertical motion necessary to raise thereproducer-point 45 and the reproducer-lever 46 clear of the record isobtained by raising the tensionlever 26 by means of the cord 42 workingthrough the bell-cranks 38 38, and 41. I am thus enabled to use an armof any length or weight that I desire without fear that it will presstoo hard upon therecord and cut or destroy same. The entire pressure ofthe record in the case of this arm is governed by the weight of thereproducer tension-weight 26. This tensionweight is pivoted in a bracket41, carried near the end of the reproducer-arm 25, 25 or 27", as thecase may be. The reproducerlever 46 is pivoted in the tension-weight 26and is connected by the cord 47 directly to the diaphragm 28 or by meansof the cord 47 with the diaphragm 28, as the case may be. Now when thereproducer tension-weight 26 is lowered by the slacking of the cord 42the reproducer-point 45 is lowered till it. rests on therecord. Thereproducer tension-weight 26 exerts a constant pressure through thelever 46 to press the point 45 on the record and at the same time itproduces a constant tension of the cord 47. It will be seen that in--equalitiesin the'record will be followed bythe reproducer-point 45. Inthis case the reproducer-pbint 45 is expected to follow the wholethickness of the records, being the amount that the disk-table lowersduring each record.

Having described. in detail the different parts of my phonograph, theaction of the same is as follows- A record 4 having been placed on thedisk-table 3, the phonograph is started by means of mechanism, (notshown or described,) which may be a motor placed in one corner of thebox and driven by a belt through the pulley 8 or by any other desiredmeans, for which means I make no claim. The operating mechanism,however, having been set in motion, the record is rotated, and at thesame time the pinion l4, keyed to the shaft 2, rotates the gear 12 andthrough clutches 12 and 19 the directing-gear 11. As this gear rotatesthe point 2O on the knee 20 moves slowly outward in the spiral groove 11carrying the arm outward from the center at the same time, the platecarrying the record 4 being rotated more rapidly than is the gear 11 inthe ratio of the diameters ofthe gear 12 and the pinion 14. The spiral,therefore, on the record 4 is much closer than the groove cut in theupper portion of the directing-gear 11, by which means a very fine andclose record may be made on the disk 4 with ya comparatively coarsespiral on the direct- 12 slowly rotate the nut 13 with reference to thesegmental screw 15. The thread on this segmental screw and the number ofteeth on the gears 11 and 12are so related that when the record shallhave been completed the nut 13* will have lowered the said segmentalscrew the thickness of one record. The reproducerarm 25 having completedthe record on the disk 4, the cam 34 is in such position that it strikesthe knee 40 and raises the tensionweight 26, and with it thereproducer-point 45, clear of the record. The directing-groove passesrapidly toward the edge of the gear 11 and swings the reproducer-arm 25clear of the record and record-table 3. As the arm 25 swings clear thecam 35 strikes the knee 33 and raises the arm 31 and attached arms 31",which raise the rods 29 and bring the lug 29 thereon into engagementwith the lug 10, rotating it a one-fourth turn, and drops the record 4downward upon the completed record 4, the lug 10 by the same rotationhaving engaged the second record 4 and prevented it from falling. Assoon as the cam 35 passes the knee 33 the knee 33 drops back to itsoriginal position and allowst-he rod 29, carrying the lugs 29 and 29 todrop to its original position. This brings the lug 29 into engagementwith the lug 10, which it rotates a one-fourth turn, allowing the storedrecords to drop to the lug 10, as before. Immediately after this is donethe cam 36 in the gear 11 strikes the knee 20 and raises the point 20clear of the spiral groove in the upper face of the gear 11, the kneebeing held in its raised position by the spring 21. This releases theguiding-arm 21 and allows the coil-spring 22 to throw the same and thereproducer-arm back to the center. The lug 40 on the spring 43 engagesthe pin 1, fastened in the under side of the base-plate 1. Thisdiseugages the spring 43 from the knee 40 and allows same to drop to itsoriginal position, and with it the reproducer-point 45, to come downupon the record-disk 4. The hollow spindle 19 rotating, brings the pin19 against the upper part of the knee 20 and turns this knee down,bringing the point 20 into the spiral groove ll in the directing-gear 11and the reproduction begins anew, as with the first record. This isrepeated until all the records or any desired portion thereof shall havebeen used. It will be seen that by storing a number of records (I haveshown twentythree in the drawings) a subject of considerable length maybe reproduced. The delay incident to changing from one record to. thenext being short, the interruption will amount to almost nothing. In thecase of a speech extending over considerable space of time this will beextremely valuable. While the reproducer is traversin g the records therecord-table is slowly lowered by means of the diiferential gears 11 and12, being lowered each time exactly the thickness of one record. If allthe records are used, this will bring the record-table 3 to thebed-plate. When all the records in the bracket 5 have been transferredtothe recordtable 3, or if at any time during the reproductionitisde'sired to begin again, the top frame is thrown back and therecords are lift- :edolf the record-table 3 and out of the phonographThey are then replaced inthe bracket5 and the same is placed again overthe shaft 2.. The button 173 is now, pressed, f

and the fork l8rais'es the clutch 12, attached to the gear 12, out'ofengagement with the, clutch 19, attached to the gear 11.

pressure on the'bu'tton 17 causes the upper face of the fork toengagethe under side of the clutch 19 on the gear'll and prevents the rotationof the pinion 13, carrying the nut 13. It now the shaft 2 be rotated,the segmental screw l5 will rise rapidly through the nut 13 until therecord-carrier 3 comes to its original position, at whichtime the button17 may be released, and the arm having been brought to the centerreproduction begins anew. It is of course possibleto throw the button1'7 in at anytime and by reversing the motion of the shaft 2 to lowerthe disk-table 3 to any desired point, and by dropping the proper numberof records 4, 4 &c., on this disk-table it is possible to begin at anypoint. i Whilein the attached claims I have introduced some of thedetails of constructiomlwish it understood that I reserve the right tocombination with a horizontal swinging arm,

a reproducer carried thereon, means of cansing said reproducer to followa record and means of rotating said record, of a disk-table, a pluralityof records supported above said table, and means of dropping said.records into position successively and automatically after thecompletion of each record, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotating shaft, arecord-carrying-disk table carried thereon, a bracket carried on saidshaft supporting a plurality of records, and means ofautomaticallydropping each of said records successively, substantiallyas shown and described.

4. In a disk-record phonograph, the combination with a rotating shaft, adisk table mounted thereon, a bracket mounted on said rotating shaftadapted to carry a plurality of disks, lugs on the bottom of saidbracket to support the disks, and means of automatically Further,

rotating said lugs at the completion of each record to dropanotherrecord into place, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotatable shaft, a record-carrying table mounted thereon, a record thereon, a bracket carried bysaid rotating shaft adapted to hold aplurality ofrecord-disks, lugs onthe bottom 1 end of said bracket adapted to support said record s,suitable bearings for said rotating shaft and a suitable frame tocarry'said bearings, saidframe having hollow posts, rods mounted in thehollow posts of said frame,said rods havinglugs on their upper ends toengage the lugs on the lower end of the storagebracket, the lugs on thesaid'rods being normally out of the path of the bracket-lugs, and meansof raising said rods to cause the lugs to turn thereon toicomeinto thepath of and engage with the lugs on'the lower end of the bracket tocause one of the storage-records to hollow posts of said frame, restingon a hinged piece, the said hinged piece underneath the- 1 saidbase-plate and means of raising the hinged piece automatically, to raisethe rods in the hollow posts and cause the lugs on said rods to engagethe lugs on the record-storage bracket, to drop a record into place atthe completion of a former record, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a phonograph, the combination with a base-plate, a suitable framemounted thereon, gearing carried beneath the said baseplate, a shaftpivoted in bearings in said frame, said shaft having pinions thereon toengage the said gearing, a record-carryingdisk table mounted on saidrotating shaft, a record-storage bracket carried on the upper end ofsaid rotating shaft, lugs on the lower end of said bracket to supportthe stored records, rods set in the hollow posts of the frame, lugs onthe rods projecting through holes in the sides of the posts, a swingingpiece under the base-plate having arms on which the rods rest, a cam onthe upper gear, a swinging arm, aknee pivoted near the end thereof andmeans of bringing the swinging arm to such position that the said kneethereon will be engaged by the lug on the gear, and will raise the saidswinging piece and the rods supported thereon, and thereby cause thelugs on the rods, to come into the path of, and to engage the lugs ofthe storage-bracket. and rotate same to drop a record into position atthe completion of the former record, substantially as shown anddescribed.

8. In a phonograph, the combination with a base-plate a suitable framethereon, a driving-shaft rotating in bearings in said frame, arecord-carrying-disk table slidably mounted on said shaft, arecord-storage bracket car ried on said shaft, and means of droppingeach record successively into place, automatically upon the completionof the precedin g record, of differential gearing to lower therecord-carrying disk through the thickness of a record, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

9. In a phonograph, the combination with a base-plate, a suitable framemounted there on, a driving-shaft journaled in said frame, arecord-carrying-disk table slidably mounted thereon, a storage-bracketcarried on the upper end of said shaft, a plurality of records carriedby said bracket and means of dropping successive records into place, ofa segmental screw fastened to said disk-table and slidably mounted onsaid shaft, a nut rotatably mounted on said shaft and engaging saidsegmental screw, and differential gearing for rotating saidnntrelatively to said shaft and segmental screw, to lower 'thedisk-table through the thickness of one record-disk during'thereproduction of a record, substantially as shown and described.

10. In a phonograph the combination with a rotating record-table and arecord thereon, of a horizon tal swinging arm carryinga reproduceron theswinging end thereof, and means of causing the arm to swing away fromthe center of the record-table and the record thereon and to follow aspiral record, said means consisting of a separate guiding-spiral ofcoarser pitch, a point. to follow said spiral and means of connectingthis point with the reproducer-point, substantially as shown anddescribed.

11. In a phonograph, the combination with a record-table, a recordthereon, a horizontal swinging reproducer-arm, moving thereover, saidarm carrying a record-reproducer, and means of causing said reproducerto follow the record consisting of a rotating gear with a spiral groovein the web thereof, a swinging guiding-arm rigidly fastened through avertical spindle to the said reproducer'arm, a point on the end of saidguiding-arm engaging with the spiral groove in the web of the saidrotating gear, and means of rotating said gear substantially as shownand described.

12. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotatable record-table, ahorizontally-swinging reproducer-arm carrying the reproducerpoint, andmeans of causing said reproducerpoint to follow the record, of means ofraising said reprodncer-point clear of the record, independently of thereproducer-arm substantially as shown and described.

13. In a disk-phonograph the combination with a disk-table mounted on arotating shaft, a bracket mounted on said rotating shaft adapted tocarry a plurality of disks, a plurality of disks therein, lugs on thebottom of said bracket to support the disks, and

means of automatically rotating said lugs at the completion of eachrecord, to disengage thesaid lugs from the disks and to drop same inplace,su bstantiallyas shown and described.

14. In a disk-phonograph, the combination with a disk-table mounted on arotating shaft, a bracket mounted on said rotating shaft adapted tocarry a plurality of disks; a plurality of disks carried thereby, saiddisks having beveled edges; lugs on the bottom of said bracket tosupport the disks, and means of automatically rotating said lugs at thecompletion of each record to drop a new record into place, substantiallyas shown and described.

15. In a phonograph, the combination with a base-plate, a suitable framethereon, a drivin g-shaft adapted to rotate in bearings in said frame,means of rotating said shaft, a recordcarrying-disk table, a segmentalscrew attached to said disk-table and slidably mounted on said shaft, arecord-storage bracket carried on said shaft, and means of dropping eachrecord into place automatically upon the completion of the precedingrecord; of a pinion fastened to said driving-shaft, said pinion engagingwith a gearengagiug with a second gear fastened thereto, said secondgear having one tooth more than the gear to which it is attached andmeshing with a second pinion rotatably mounted on the drivingpinion;said second pinion having a nut formed therein, which nut engages withthe segmental screw to lower the record-table, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

16. In a phonograph, the combination with a base-plate, a suitable framemounted thereon, a driving-shaft jonrnaled in said frame, astoragebracket carried on the upper end of said shaft, a plurality ofrecords carried in said record, and means of dropping successive recordsinto place; of a record-carrying-disk table a segmental screw fastenedto said disk-table and slidably mounted on said shaft, a nut rotatablymounted on said shaft and engaging said segmental screw, a difierentialgear for rotating said nut with reference to said shaft, a segmentalscrew to lower the disk-table through the thickness of one record-disk,during the reproduction of a record; and means of throwing thedifferential gearing out of action, to permit the rapid raising orlowering of the disk-table, substantially as shown and described.

17. In a phonograph, the combination with a base-plate, a suitable framethereon, a driving-shaft journaled in said frame, a storagebracketcarried on the upper end of said shaft, a plurality of records carriedby said bracket, and means of dropping successive recordsinto place, arecord-carrying-disk table, a segmenta] screw fastened to saiddisk-table and slidably mounted on said shaft and engaging saidsegmental screw; a gear driving said nut, a second gear fastened to saiddriving-gear by a clutch, and a pinion on said driving-shaft drivingsaid second gear, of a fork adapted to raise said second gear to throwthe clutch thereon out of engagement with the drivinggear; said forkbeing formed also as a brake to hold the driving-gear and the nutengaged therewith, so that the disk-table may be rapidly raised orlowered, substantially as shown and described.

18. In a disk-record phonograph, the combination with a driving-shaft, abracket supported thereon carrying apluralityof recorddisks and means ofdropping each of these disks successively on the completion of thepreceding record; of a segmental screw slidably mounted on saiddriving-shaft, a disktable attached thereto, a nut with pinion thereonengaging said segmental screw said nut-pinion being rotated withreference to the said driving-shaft and segmental screw by means ofdifferential gearing composed of a pinion rigidly fastened to saiddriving-shaft, a lower gear driven by said pinion, said lower gearhaving a clutch on its under face to engage with a clutch attached to anupper driving-gear which has one tooth more or less than the lower gearand the said drivinggear meshing with the said nut-pinion, and openingscut through the driving-pinion to permit the passage of the segmentalscrew, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 7

19. In a disk-record phonograph, the combination with a' driving-shaft,a bracket supported thereon carrying a plurality of recorddisks, andmeans of dropping each one of these disks successively on the completionof the preceding record; a segmental screw slidably mounted on saiddriving-shaft, a disktable attached thereto andanut having a pinionthereon engaging said segmental screw said nut-pinion being rotated withreference to the said driving-shaft, a gear driven by said pinion, saiddriven gear having a clutch on its under. face to engage with a clutchattached on a driving-gear having one tooth more or less than the drivengear, the said driving-gear meshing with the said nut-pinion, andopenings cut through the drivingpinion to permit the passage of thesegmental screw; of a fork adapted to raise the driven gear and theclutch thereon out of engagement with the clutch on the driving-gear,and to press against the clutch on the said driving-gear as a brake tohold the said gear and the nut-pinion meshing therewith, so that thesegmental screw may be rapidly rotated thereon to raise or lower thedisk-table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

20. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotating record-table andthe record thereon, of a horizontally-swinging arm carryingareproducer-point on the swinging end thereof, and means of causing thearm to swing outward from the center of the record-table and the recordthereon and to follow a spiral record, said means consisting of anindependent spiral, a directing-point to engage with same connectingmembers to connectthe point and the reproducer-arm and means ofreleasing said arm by tripping said directing-point out of thedirecting-spiral and at the same time tripping the reproducerpoint clearof the record,and means of returning said swinging arm to the center ofthe record, substantially as and for the purposes set'forth.

21. In a phonograph, the combination with a record-table, a recordthereon, a horizontally-swinging reproducer-arm moving thereover, saidarm carrying a record-reproducer, and means of causing said reproducerto follow the record, said means consisting of a rotatable gear with aspiral groove in the web thereof, means of rotating said gear, aswinging guiding-arm rigidly fastened through a vertical spindle to thereproducer-arm,a point on the end of said guiding-arm engaging with thespiral groove in the web of said rotating gear, and means of returningthe said repro-' ducer-arm to the center to begin a new record,substantially as shown and described.

22. In a phonograph, the combination of a record-table, a recordthereon, means of operating said table, a horizontally-swingingreproducer-arm moving thereover,said arm carrying a reproducer, andmeans of causing said reproducer to follow the record, said meansconsisting of a rotating gear with a spiral groove in the web thereofand means of rotating said gear, a swinging guiding-arm rigidly fastenedthrough a vertical spindle to the said reproducer-arm, a point on theend of said guiding-arm engaging with the spiral groove in the web ofthe rotating gear, a cam on the said gear to disengage the said pointfrom the spiral groove and a coil-spring to bring the reproducer-armback to the center when the point is disengaged substantially as shownand described.

23. In a phonograph, the combination with a record-table,la recordthereon, a horizontally-swinging arm moving thereover, said arm carryinga record-reproducer, and means of causing said reproducer to follow therecord, consisting of a rotating gear with a spiral groove in the webthereof, and means of rotating said gear, a swinging guiding-arm rigidlyfastened through a vertical spindle to said reproducer-arm, and a pointon the end of said guiding-arm engaging with the spiral groove in theweb of the rotating gear, of means of raising the reproducer-point clearof the record, means of disengaging the said point from the spiralgroove, and means of returning the reproducer-arm to the point ofbeginning said means consisting of a coilspring attached to the verticalspindle and the base-plate, substantially as shown and described.

24:. In a phonograph, the combination with a record-table, a recordthereon, a horizontally-swinging reproducer-arm moving thereover, saidarm carrying a record-reproducer, a vertical spindle, a swingingguiding-arm IIO rigidly fastened through the said vertical spindle tosaid reproducer-arm, a rotatable gear with a spiral groove in the webthereof; means of rotating said gear, a point on the end of saidguiding-arm engaging with the spiral groove in the web of the saidrotating gear, means of raising said reproducer-point clear of therecord, consisting of a cam on the said gear; aknee on the saidguiding-arm, connected by a cord and bell-crank levers to atension-weight which carries the reproducerpoint, the saidtension-weight, a lever mounted therein having a reproducer-point on oneend thereof, and being connected at its opposite ends by means of a cordto a diaphragm;-

the said diaphragm, means of disengaging the guiding-point from thegroove in the rotating gear, consisting of a cam on the said rotatinggear, to engage with the knee which carries the guiding-point, allsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

25. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotating record-table, ahorizontally-swinging reproducer-arm, a bracket on the end of said arm,a tension-weight mounted in said bracket, said tension-Weight carrying areproducer-lever, having a reproducing-point on one end thereof, and theopposite end thereof connected by, means of a cord with a diaphragm, andthe said diaphragm; means of causing said reproducer-point to follow therecord, and means of raising said reproducerpoint clear of the record,substantially as shown and described.

26. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotating record-table, ahorizontally-swinging reproducer-arm, a bracket on the end of said arm,a tension-weight mounted in said bracket, said tension-weight carrying alever, having a reproducing-point on one end thereof, and the oppositeend thereof connected by means of a cord with a diaphragm, and the saiddiaphragm; means of causing said reproducer-point to follow the record,and means of raising said reproducer-point clear of the record,consisting of a cam on a rotating gear, a knee to engage with said cam,and cords connecting the said knee through bell-cranks with a bell-crankon the end of said tension-Weight, substantially as shown and described.

27. In a phonograph, the combination with a record-table, a recordthereon, a horizontally-swinging reprod ucer-arm moving thereover, saidarm carrying a record-reproducer and means of causing said reproducer tofollow the record, consisting of a vertical spindle a swingingguiding-arm rigidly fastened through the vertical spindle to saidreproducer-arm, a rotatable gear with a spiral groove in the webthereof, and means of rotating said gear, and a point on the end of saidguidingarm engaging with a spiral groove in the Web of the said rotatinggear, of means of raising said reproducer-point from the record, meansof causing the said reproducer-arm to return to the center of the recordto begin a new reproduction; and means of holding said reproducer-pointaway from the record, during this returning movement; said meansconsisting of a knee on the end of the said guiding-arm, a cam on saidrotating gear to engage said knee and raise the reproducer-point, aspring fastened to said guiding-arm, adapted to engage with a lug onsaid knee and hold said knee until the spring shall have disengagedtherefrom, and a coil-spring fastened to said vertical spindle and tothe base-plate, all substantially as shown and described.

28. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotating record surface, ahorizontallyswinging arm, a reproducer point on the free end thereof,means of causing said point to follow a record on the said surface, saidmeans consisting of a directing-spiral exterior to the said surface anda point guided by the said spiral and means of connecting the said pointwith the reproducing-point, substantially as shown and described.

29. In a phonograph, the combination with a record, a swingingreproducer-arm, a reproducer-point movably attached to said arm andmeans of causing said point to follow a record, of means of raising saidpoint with reference to said reproducer-arm to disengage the said pointfrom the record, substantially as shown and described.

30. In a phonograph the combination with a record and means of operatingsame, a swinging reprodncer-arm and means of guiding same, of areproducer-point so attached to the reprodncer-arm that it has anindependent motion at right angles to the plane of motion of thereproducer-arm, and means of controlling this motion to raise the pointclear of the record substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN D. BLAGDEN.

Witnesses:

T. D. YOUNG, LEE THORNTON.

